50 Cent's $1M Lawsuit Against Ex Shaniqua Tompkins Hits Major Roadblock

50 Cent has encountered a legal setback in his attempt to secure a $1 million payout from former partner Shaniqua Tompkins, after a New York judge refused to grant an automatic default judgment in their ongoing dispute over a life rights agreement tied to a planned book project.

As per Complex, the case centers on a contract involving the rapper's publishing venture, G-Unit Books, which claims Tompkins undermined a long-standing agreement granting the company exclusive rights to tell her life story.

According to reporting from AllHipHop, a Manhattan commercial court judge recently ruled that G-Unit Books had not provided sufficient evidence to justify awarding the full damages requested, even though Tompkins failed to meet earlier court deadlines to respond to the lawsuit.

The ruling effectively halted 50 Cent's attempt to quickly secure a financial victory and forces the case to continue while the court examines the underlying contract dispute.

The lawsuit, filed in 2025, is based on a life rights agreement allegedly signed in 2007, during the rapper's peak career. The contract reportedly granted G-Unit Books broad, exclusive and perpetual control over Tompkins' life story, name and likeness for use in a planned publication.

In exchange for the rights, Tompkins reportedly received an $80,000 advance along with the promise of royalties tied to the potential book's success.

Attorneys representing G-Unit Books argued in court filings that Tompkins damaged the value of the agreement by discussing details about her relationship with 50 Cent in interviews and on social media platforms.

In earlier legal filings, the company accused Tompkins of "wrecking" the potential book by revealing personal details that were meant to remain exclusive to the planned publication.

Tompkins, however, has pushed back against the claims and contested the circumstances surrounding the agreement. In a sworn affidavit submitted to the court, she offered her account of how the contract came about.

In the filing, she stated that she "had to sign away her story during the collapse of their relationship."

Tompkins further argued that she was emotionally and financially dependent on the rapper when the deal was presented, raising questions about whether the contract represented a genuine choice.

She also alleged that individuals close to the rapper pressured her to sign the agreement, including the late music executive Chris Lighty.

The judge's decision does not dismiss the lawsuit or rule in Tompkins' favor, but it does require 50 Cent's legal team to present additional evidence if they want to pursue the seven-figure damages claim.

The disagreement is still not settled, and both sides are getting ready for more court hearings in New York.